The first Commaundement.
I am the Lord thy God, whiche haue brought thee out of the lande of Aegypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt haue no straunge Gods before my face.
[ 13] Whether you make the first sentence a part of the first cōmaunde∣ment, or reade it seuerally, it is indifferēt to me, so that you do not de∣nie me that it standeth in stede of a preface to the whole law. First in making of lawes is heede to be takē, yt they be not shortly after abro∣gate by cōtempt. Therfore God first of all prouideth, that the maiestie of the lawe that he shall make, maye neuer at any time come in con∣tempt. For stablishing wherof he vseth three maners of argumentes. First he chalengeth to him self power and right of dominion, whereby he may constraine his chosen people, that they must of necessitie obey him: then he setteth forth a promise of grace with swetenesse therof to allure thē to studie of holinesse. Thirdly he reciteth the benefite that he did for them, to reproue the Iewes of vnthankefulnesse, if they do not with obedience answer his kindnesse. Under the name of Iehouah, the Lord, is meant his authoritie & lawful dominiō. And if al thinges be of him and do abide in him, it is right that all thinges be referred to him,* 1.1 as Paule sayeth. Therfore we are with this word alone suffi∣ciently brought vnder the yoke of Gods maiestie, bicause it were mō∣struous for vs to seke to withdraw our selues frō vnder his gouerne∣ment, out of whome we can not be.
[ 14] After that he hath shewed that it is he that hath power to com∣maund, to whome obedience is due, lest he should seme to drawe by only necessitie, he also allureth with swetenesse in pronouncyng, that he is the God of the Churche. For there is hidden in this speache•• mutuall relation,* 1.2 whyche is conteyned in the promise: I will bee to them a God, and they shal be to me a people. Whereupon Christ proueth that Abraham, Isaac and Iacob haue immortall lyfe, by this that God testified that he is their God. Wherefore it is as muche in effecte, as yf he should saye thus: I haue chosen you to be my people, not only to doe you good in this present lyfe, but also to geue you the blessednesse of the life to come. But to what end this tendeth, it is noted in diuerse places in ye law. For whē ye Lord doth vouch saue to deale thus mercifully with vs,* 1.3 to call vs into the companie of his people, he choseth vs (sayth Moses) yt we should be a peculiar people vnto him self, a holy people, and should kepe his commaundementes.